Stories over the years
Dhani went into labor while she was at work on the 6th day of Shrawan (or, July 23rd in the Western calendar). After 11 hours of excruciating labor, her family brought her to One Heart Worldwide's recently established Liku Birthing Center. The nursing staff at the center tended to Dhani and she delivered the next day. Shortly after the birth, Dhani experienced intense bleeding. The nurses immediately recognized the bleeding as postpartum hemorrhage, a leading cause of maternal deaths in Nepal. They quickly administered medication and fluids then closely monitored Dhani's vital signs. Dhani's life was saved and her family was so grateful that they vowed to get the word out in the community to assure that all other pregnant women deliver at the Liku Birthing Center.
The best care requires proper setup of equipment and shelter, both items were lacking at the Salbaas Birthing Center after the earthquake in April. The health facility building was completely destroyed and we were lucky enough that we were not in service that day. Tulasa (an SBA from Salbaas BC) was providing services via tent. However, under these conditions, giving birth would be unpredictable with only basic equipment available. Luckily, under the equipment support program after the earthquakes, Tulasa was able to conduct a normal delivery.
"After the earthquake we had lost almost everything. We were staying in a temporary shelter. I was in a state of trauma and greatly worried for the child that I was carrying. My husband's support motivated me to visit a health facility for my routine antenatal check-ups. When I went to the Health Post for the delivery, I was taken inside the birthing tent which was well well equipped and looked extremely safe. I was treated with proper care by the nurse who attended during my delivery and we also received warm clothes and a small stipend for delivering my baby here."
"I received a call from our local SBA informing me that ultrasound services were available at our local birthing center. The SBA scanned my big belly and confirmed that I was pregnant with twins! I was so touched that I had goosebumps when she showed me the ultrasound and pointed to show me my babies' hearts pumping. After a few follow-ups, the babies still lay intersecting each other. I am grateful that the SBA referred me to a higher-level center in Kathmandu. I went to Thapathali Maternity Hospital, where I underwent a c-section and successfully delivered two baby girls.
"This birthing center has offered me a lot. The center had recently begun offering birthing services, so I was lucky to be able to receive antenatal and postnatal services in my own village. We were actually planning to go to Biratnagar (one of the biggest cities in Nepal, and really far away from my village) for delivery because our baby was found in breech position during the ultrasound scanning. Therefore, my husband and I were planning to head out to Biratnagar a week before the given expected date of delivery. But the bus did not show up for two consecutive days due to bad road conditions, and my labor pains began the next day. I Immediately headed to Rajapani Birthing Center with my husband. After continual support from SBAs and six hours of labor pain, I successfully delivered my little angel.
“I had one of my babies at home and the second one at the health post. The delivery room was very small, and I was scared if people outside could see me. But I when I went to the HP to immunize my child, the new building was being built. The ANM told me that it would be the new delivery room. People from other nearby wards will also get to take service from new delivery room.’’
‘’My baby girl was born in the health post. The birthing center looks like a hospital. It’s so much better than before. It is clean and well-maintained. My friends share the same opinion. I like the color of the walls.’’
“If it were not for the sisters, I could not have been alive. I am very grateful to them for saving my life,” says Sarita.
​
“I have a very faint memory of that night. I might have passed out due to pain. I have some flashes of darkness. I was at Jiri Hospital at one point but woke up on the hospital bed at Kathmandu. I was feeling little bit better then. The doctors confirmed me that I was pregnant with twins there. I delivered my first child by natural means but could not deliver my second child. I had the surgery for my second delivery. I stayed at the hospital for about a week. I am fortunate to be alive.”
​
"If it was not for the Skilled Birth Attendant at the health post, who took care of me during the critical time, I would not have been alive to share my experience. Not only was our birthing center completely renovated, One Heart also provided all the equipment and training to our nurse. Now, people like me are very confident about the quality services it is providing.’
​
"The first time I gave birth, I had to be carried to a medical centre on a stretcher. It was about 2am, and my husband had to round up a group of men from the village to help me because I couldn’t walk. As they carried me, I felt scared. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me. But I needn’t have worried – everything was easy, and by 9am, my son was born."
​
"Being pregnant here is hard. I wake up, sweep the floor, wash the dishes and then I start cooking. My husband runs a restaurant, so we serve the customers all day and then I prepare dinner. If my husband is busy, I have to fetch and carry the water. I want to give birth in the health centre here, I’m lucky because it’s really close by. I wouldn’t want to have to walk."
​
"Last time that I was pregnant, I was in the forest cutting grass when the pain in my stomach got stronger and stronger. Eventually I went back to our house, and some relatives carried me to the health post on stretches. When the doctor told me my baby was dead, I felt sad. I still feel sad about it. When my husband found out, he cried too, then he said things would be normal again soon. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be normal again."
​
"Pregnancy is really hard here. I have so much work to do every day – I carry huge baskets of manure on my back for six hours in the sun every afternoon, until I feel dizzy and out of breath. I’m not allowed to take a break, because there’s nobody else to do the work except me. My husband works in construction, and sometimes I have to help him out too. He needs me to carry stones and mud on my back, then mix it all to make cement."
​